


All The Bughead Places

by imthelastofadyingbreed



Category: Riverdale - Fandom, bughead - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-08-02 03:06:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 12,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16297034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imthelastofadyingbreed/pseuds/imthelastofadyingbreed
Summary: Jughead Jones, a Southside Serpent, wanted to take his own life... “I’m broken, and no one can fix it.”Betty Cooper, the Northside princess, was devastated by her sister’s death... “In that instant when we crashed, my words died too.”They meet on the ledge of the school roof, and so their story begins. It’s only together they can be themselves.“I sent a message to Betty: ‘you are all the colors in one, at full brightness’.”“You’re so weird, Jug, but that’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me.”A Bughead version of “All the Bright Places” by Jennifer Niven. This is not my original story, no copyright intended. I just wanted to imagine Betty and Jug in this story, enjoy:)*trigger warning* mentions of mental health





	1. Chapter 1

Jughead:

Is today a good day to die? 

I ask myself that a lot. 

Is today a good day to die? 

And if not, then when? 

I thought about dying again as I sat on the roof of Riverdale high. 

Usually I had to steal the janitor’s keys to access the stairs that led to my high school’s rooftop, but the door was open already on that February morning. 

I shivered slightly. My serpent jacket was my skin, but I wished I’d bought my sherpa jacket because the sky looked like it was going to snow. 

I did my best thinking and writing on that roof. 

Whenever I wanted to escape the shithole that was Riverdale, I sat above it.  
Southside High closed that past September, not that I missed it much. I don’t think anyone really did. We were all hauled into Riverdale High, in the Northside, as they’d just expanded it. We weren’t really harassed much, at least the Serpents weren’t anyway. The Northside jocks knew who we were and stayed away for the sake of their fucking scholarships. Although it was still as if nothing changed socially. They kept some Southsiders and Northsiders in seperate classes after too many fights had broken out in the first week back, mainly between the younger years; after that, the Southsiders kept to themselves. 

I held on to the railing for a moment, before deciding to step over. The ground was so far away that I couldn’t even recognise the faces passing underneath. 

Is today a good day to die? 

I studied the ground. I heard a scream, but I couldn’t care less. They weren’t screaming for me. No one ever did. 

I watched an outline of a figure raised an arm and let out another scream, almost in slow motion. For a moment, I wondered if they were actually staring at me. That was, until, I heard a whimper behind me. 

I whipped my head round, hands still steady on the cold metal to discover that for the first time I was not alone. 

The girl’s legs shook violently as she was in her little cheerleading uniform, and her lips were turning blue. What the fuck was she also doing on the roof?

She was called Betty, at least I thought so. Had she been out here that entire time? 

And how had I not noticed her?

She was the kind of girl everyone fucking noticed. A Hitchcock blonde with green eyes.

She wore chunky glasses with no prescription in; the frame was too big for her face. I’d passed her in the hallways a few times, not that I knew her though. 

“BETTY!” 

I followed the voice to Cheryl Blossom, who was screeching from the ground. I did know her, on the other hand. She’d made sure of that. 

On the first day, she’d snarled at every single Southsider and even spat at a few. She was a firey bitch. 

I eyed Betty for a moment. She seemed different to Cheryl. For one, her face was a lot softer and her glasses were endearing. 

“Hey,” I whispered softly to her, trying not to frighten her, “I’ll make a deal with you, okay? We both come down. Is that okay? Are you okay, Betty?” 

She looked up at me through her eyelashes which glistened with tears.  
I didn’t get how someone like her could be so broken. 

So broken and so fucking beautiful. 

She didn’t react, so I said,  
“Grab the railing. Can you do that for me? Hey, don’t look down! Look at me, okay? That’s it. Come on, Betty. Copy me. Keep looking at me. That’s it.” 

She followed me as I showed her how to climb back over. She was still violently shaking, so I slipped off my jacket and hung it on her bare shoulders. I knew I probably shouldn’t have done it, but I also didn’t want her dying of hypothermia. 

She studied me, and her face softened.  
“Thank you, Jughead,” she whispered, shivering as she did so. 

The door burst open. Cheryl and the vixens who were in the same tiny uniform stormed across the concrete. 

They all rushed over to Betty, screeching like hyenas. 

They didn’t even acknowledge me, so I took that as my cue to leave. 

I slipped back down the way I came, charging down the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Betty: 

English used to be my favorite. My professor would give us assignments and I’d write and write until I exceeded the expectations by several pages. I couldn’t help it. I loved writing. 

I said used. I could barely manage a paragraph now. I would turn in poorly written essays with my head hung low, mumbling the same thing about how I am not ready. 

Truth is, I don’t think I ever will be ready. 

I just... I missed her. I missed her so much. 

I didn’t ever stop thinking about her. I couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to her. Polly was the perfect daughter, the smartest cheerleader and the hottest senior Riverdale had ever seen. And she was my best friend. She was my sister. 

We used to write together. We had our own website.

After the accident, I lost my passion just like I had lost her. 

That’s why I didn’t pay attention in class anymore. I couldn’t live with myself. 

A hand tapped me on the back. A girl I sort of knew half smiled at me, and handed me a note. 

It was from Archie. 

This time last year, I would’ve been grinning, stomach infested with butterflies. I had just gotten onto the cheerleading squad and the most popular jock in the entire high school who also happened to live next door to me had started to like me back. 

Now, I felt... I felt a little sick, to be honest. Archie was a great guy but... I don’t know. 

I opened the paper. 

“The Drive In’s showing a rerun tonight. You wanna go?   
Arch x” 

I bit my lip, and folded the note back up. 

This time last year, I would have written back in a heartbeat.   
This time last year, I would have squealed with Veronica Lodge, one of my closest friends.   
This time last year, everything was different, and I was different. 

I hesitated, ignoring it for a while. 

The next time I gazed up at the clock, the lesson was almost over and I decided I couldn’t be rude. 

I scribbled,

“Can I get back to you?” 

I handed it back to the girl behind me, not daring to meet Archie’s eyes. 

I felt so fucking guilty.   
Guilty because Archie was a decent person.   
Guilty because my sister had died. 

I felt guilty because I had taken the credit for ‘saving’ Jughead Jones when really Jughead Jones saved me. 

I had told everyone that I noticed the door to the roof open and found it strange because it was always locked. 

Not true. I had unlocked it. 

I had told everyone I helped him get away from the railing because he was frozen from the cold. 

Not true. He had helped me. 

I told everyone I didn’t know who he was and that he was just another Southsider. 

Not true. 

Not true, not true, not true. 

His face hadn’t left my mind that entire day. I was so damaged and I had let another person see that. 

I was Alice Cooper’s fucking daughter. 

She didn’t cry. She was perfect. 

I had ruined it. 

I bit my lip. 

The bell rang signifying the end of the period, and as I gathered my things together I felt a tap on my back. 

I sighed, turning round. 

It was Archie. 

“Hey... you okay, B?” he asked, with his puppy dog eyes I once adored. 

“Yeah. Sorry, Archie. Long day.” 

“I heard. Listen, the Bulldogs can kick that fucking Serpent’s ass if you want...”

“No!” I snapped, “that’s kind of you, Archie, but it’s okay... really.” 

He gave me a sympathetic smile. I tried not to roll my eyes. Ever since I lost my sister everyone looked at me like I was 5 years old and I hated it. 

“So... I got your note, but I thought I’d ask you again... you know, face to face,” he paused, “do you wanna come to the drive in tonight? Please? Veronica and Reggie are going and I don’t wanna third wheel again...” he pleaded. 

I hated that place. 

I hated cars. 

Being my boyfriend and all Archie should’ve known that. 

“Okay,” I grimaced, already dreading it. 

“Thanks Betty!” he smiled, and patted my back as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise betty and archie won’t be together for long!   
> if you’ve read ‘all the bright places’ you should be familiar with the story by i will be changing it slightly:)   
> jughead is based off of finch and betty is based off of violet. 
> 
> thank you for reading <3


	3. Chapter 3

Betty:  
I knew that it was February, and too cold to possibly function, but I couldn’t sit in Archie’s truck. 

I just... couldn’t. 

I wasn’t ready. 

We sat on the frozen ground on a dog blanket Archie had in the backseat. 

Veronica and Reggie weren’t watching the movie. I knew that Archie probably didn’t want to watch it either, but I... I wasn’t in the mood. 

I shivered, my breath visible in the air. 

I groaned internally, cursing that I hadn’t bought something warmer. My layered pastel sweaters weren’t thick enough. 

I looked over at the others in case someone had clothing to spare. Veronica and Reggie may have been preoccupied but they weren’t stupid enough to freeze. Archie had his Bulldogs jacket but I knew it was pretty much surgically attached to him. He had never let me wear it before.

I reached over to my backpack, and pulled out the only thing I had. 

Jughead’s Serpent jacket. 

I knew it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea. There was no official war between the Northsiders and the Southsiders but everyone in Riverdale seemed to know about it. You just didn’t mix with the other side. 

But I was cold, so I put it on. 

—————— 

Jughead: 

The Serpents were a family, and every evening I was with my siblings. 

The younger Serpents weren’t often given “jobs”. Usually the Elders tried to give us half a chance at leaving the shithole before we were 18. 

We also weren’t allowed in the Whyte Worm. Well, not until after it got dark. The Northside technically ruled over all of Riverdale, and that included their cops, so anyone who was underage caught in the bar could’ve been arrested. The cops didn’t dare enter at night though, so it was safe for us then. 

In the mean time, we had to find something to do. In the summer we raced on our motorbikes but the winter did not allow us to do so. It got dark too early to go anywhere. 

On weekends, we settled on the Drive In. 

They often showed reruns of nothing special and yet to us it was everything. 

We lined up our bikes and parked them to the side of the screen. 

“Um... Jones?” 

“What, Toni?” 

“Where’s your jacket?” 

I scratched my neck, aware that Toni, Fangs and Sweet Pea were all looking at me. I distracted myself with making sure my bike stand was out and stable. 

“Uh... I must have left it in my locker.” 

Toni raised an eyebrow at me, and the boys exchanged a look. I had known them since we were in diapers and they knew when I was lying. I scowled. 

“Um... Jughead?” 

“Yes, Toni?” I spat through gritted teeth. 

“If it’s in your locker then why is Betty Cooper wearing your jacket?” 

My head followed where she was looking, and my hands tightened on the handle bars. 

Out of earshot, I spotted two Northside jocks and two cheerleaders lounging, almost as if they’d just stepped out of the movie before us. One of the pairs was making out, and the other I recognised to be the redhead Archie Andrews with his arm around Betty Cooper. 

But Toni was right. 

Betty was wearing my Serpent jacket. 

Fuck. 

I bit my lip. I mean... I did tell her that she could wear it. I just assumed... since she was from the Northside and all...

“JUG!” Sweet Pea snapped. 

My head whipped round to look at them; I could see the questions building in their eyes. 

“She was cold.” 

A silence fell for a moment. 

“Wait,” Toni laughed, “what the fuck?” 

I shrugged. 

“Well it was either that or let her die of hypothermia.” 

The silence was uncomfortable. 

“Well fuck me,” Sweet Pea smirked, winking, “this’ll be fun.” 

I scowled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading:)  
> also does anyone know what state Riverdale is set in?


	4. Chapter 4

Jughead: 

The next time I saw Betty I was in 4th period English with Mr Phillips. 

Mr Phillips was one of the few Southside teachers that wasn’t made redundant after the merge. Probably because a few kids actually passed his class, unlike the rest of the professors at Southside. And I was glad. He was a little bit more lenient with the Southside kids, unlike most of the Northside teachers who treated us unfairly. 

Betty sat at a desk on the front row but nearest the door by the wall. My seat was a few behind her and placed slightly more centrally in the room, not that I minded. 

I watched her absentmindedly fiddle with a loose strand of her ponytail with one hand, biting her nails on the other. 

Mr Phillips took registration, before announcing the project for the rest of the semester. 

“Your project for this class will be to report on two, preferably three, wonders of Riverdale... as a whole town.” 

I wanted to ask whether he meant ‘wonders’ or ‘wanders’, but I was too busy watching Betty concentrate on the ceiling. 

Mr Phillips went on to say that we could choose any places we wanted, anything that struck our fancy, so long as we researched the history in both the Northside and the Southside, and we took it seriously. We had to explain why we were proud of where we lived. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. 

“You must work in pairs and hand in your assignment by the end of the semester. I will do weekly check ups to see how your project is coming along.” 

I raised my hand. 

“Can we choose our partners?” 

“Yes, you may.” 

“I choose Betty Cooper.” 

Mr Phillips raised an eyebrow. 

“You may work that out with her after class.” 

I shifted, meeting Betty’s eyes. I didn’t care that everyone was watching. The whole point of the schools joining and the entire goddamn project was to reunite the town, right? So... I was setting an example. 

“Betty Cooper, I would like to be your partner on this project.” 

A dozen heads stared to Betty, whose face was turning pink. 

Betty turned to Mr Phillips. 

“Uh.. I was wondering if I could report on something else? Maybe a short piece?” 

He interrupted her and raised a hand.   
“Miss Cooper, I’m going to do you one of the biggest favors of your life. I am going to say no.” 

“No?” she echoed and her voice shook slightly. 

“No. It’s a new year. Time you got back on the camel.” 

A few of the students laughed at his evident mistake, but Betty turned back to me and I read the expression on her face. She was mostly pissed, but she was also embarrassed. 

And then I remembered the accident. 

THE accident. 

Betty and her sister, sometime last spring. 

Betty lived and her sister died. 

She didn’t want to be known as the girl who would outlive her older sister. 

I groaned internally. 

She didn’t want to be known as the girl who would outlive her older sister. 

And THAT was why she didn’t want any attention. 

I had just made her the centre of attention. 

Shit. 

The rest of the period was spent by Mr Phillips taking suggestions of places we could research, but I refused to say another word. Instead, I spent my time focusing on the blonde and wondering whether she would turn around and look at me again.

But she didn’t. 

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this chapter isn’t as long as the others :/


	5. Chapter 5

Betty: 

I felt 10 years old stood with a pillow tucked under my arm on Cheryl Blossom’s driveway. 

After the whole thing in English with Jughead, I tried to hide for the rest of the day. 

Somehow, Cheryl and Veronica had cornered me at the end of lunch anyway, and they had convinced me to have a sleepover with them tonight. 

I wouldn’t have gone at all, but I had made the mistake of mentioning it to my mom who then made me go. According to her, the Blossoms and the Lodges were respectable people and I couldn’t hide in my room forever. 

But I should’ve known it was a party. Her house was filled with seniors, jocks and cheerleaders- the stereotypical kind of people you would expect. 

I was handed a red cup the moment I stepped inside, and someone directed me to the basement where Cheryl was said to be. 

She was sat on one couch, watching a game of spin the bottle that some Vixens and Bulldogs were playing on the floor. 

Including Archie. 

On the other couch was, unsurprisingly, Veronica and Reggie. 

I slumped down next to her, clutching my pillow tighter. 

“You came!” Cheryl said, surprised. 

“Uh... yeah.” 

We watched the game in silence, but I knew that it wouldn’t last long. Cheryl loved to talk to anyone about everything. 

“So... what’s going on with you and Archie?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Really? You haven’t done it yet, though, have you? And what about you and that Snake?” 

My eyes widened. 

“Who, Jughead? Nothing.” 

“Hmm. I heard that, for a Serpent, he’s fucking good in bed.” 

I almost laughed at her audacity. It was very Cheryl. 

“I wouldn’t know,” I muttered coldly. 

I thought back to when Cheryl, Veronica and I were 14. Jason gave us a boy’s opinion on relationships, and it kind of stuck with me ever since. 

“Those who do are sluts and those who don’t are prudes,” he had said. 

“So,” Cheryl had reasoned, “the only thing you can do is find one guy to do it with forever.” 

I had never really wanted to go that far with Archie. I knew I should have wanted to, but I didn’t. 

I watched my classmates on the floor, getting more wasted by the minute. The music started giving me a headache and my stomach felt disgusting. 

I couldn’t listen to Cheryl any longer. 

The last time I was here, I was with Polly. 

We had both been drinking, but she offered to drive home. 

And I told her that she shouldn’t have taken that bridge. 

Not at that time in the morning. 

24 hours later, I had woken up in a hospital room. 

Polly hadn’t. 

I picked up my stuff and ran outside. I reached the curb of a road, and I let out the contents of my stomach. I felt so sick. 

“Betty!” 

I groaned, realising Archie had followed me. He didn’t touch me, just looked at me with his wide eyes. 

“Are you okay?” 

“I’ve just been sick, Archie. I’m going home.” 

“Do you want me to come with you?” 

“No. Thank you, Archie, but I need space. I can’t do this anymore. Please, go back to the party.” 

He seemed to consider it. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Please.” 

“Okay,” he smiled sympathetically, before turning around. He jogged back to Cheryl’s house. 

I reached my house and went straight to my room. I decided I would deal with my mom in the morning, who I knew would have questions on why I was back so early. 

I checked the time on my laptop- 22:47- and I saw that I had a notification. 

A friend request from Jughead Jones.


	6. Chapter 6

Jughead:

As soon as the school day was over, I headed straight to the trailer and pulled out my laptop. I began to type. 

“Date: February 2  
Method: Riverdale High’s roof  
On a scale of 1 to 10 how close did I come: 5   
Reason for not jumping: Too messy. Too public. Too crowded.“

I hesitated, before adding:

“Betty Cooper.” 

I clicked off my notes and onto social media. I typed up Cheryl Blossom’s name first because she was ‘friends’ with everyone and on several occasions I had heard her promote her account over school. I pulled up her friend list and searched for Betty. 

Betty’s page appeared immediately. I couldn’t see her photos or posts because she had a private account, unlike Cheryl. 

I sat staring at the screen, suddenly desperate to know more. 

I clicked onto Google to see if she came up in the search engine instead. 

A website appeared, along with a local newspaper article; 

“Polly Cooper, 18, a senior at Riverdale High, lost control of her car on A Street Bridge at approximately 12:45 am, April 5. Icy conditions, speed and alcohol consumption may have caused the crash. Polly was killed on impact. Her 16 year old sister, Betty, a passenger in the vehicle, survived with minor injuries.” 

I lost count how many times I reread it. I had a black feeling settle in the pit of my stomach. 

And then I did something I swore that I would never do. 

I signed up for social media. 

A roar of engines approached outside. I turned my laptop off, grabbed my helmet and met with the Serpents outside. 

Around 11pm, when I got back, I decided to check my account. 

~Betty Cooper has accepted your follow request~

And just like that, we were friends. 

I browsed through her photos. Betty smiling with friends. Betty smiling at a pep rally. Betty smiling cheek to cheek with another girl. 

I recognised the girl in the picture. She had similar blonde hair, and the chunky glasses Betty had been wearing. This was Polly. 

A message appeared in my inbox. 

Betty: You ambushed me. In front of everyone. 

Me: Would you have worked with me if I hadn’t? 

Betty: I would’ve gotten out of it. 

Me: Our mountain is waiting, Betty Cooper. 

Betty: What’s that supposed to mean?

Me: You know, we don’t have to talk on social media. I can just come over. 

Betty: Now? 

Me: Well, technically in, like, five or ten minutes. I should get dressed first, unless you prefer me naked, and we have to allow for driving time.

Betty: It’s late. 

Me: That depends on who you ask. I think it’s early. Early in the new year. Early in our lives. If you think about it, the number of earlies outnumber the lates. And it’s just to talk. 

Betty: If you come over tonight, do you promise to drop it? 

Me: Serpents honor.

Betty: Just to talk. 

Betty: Are you still there? 

Betty: Jughead?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading:)   
> again, no copyright intended:)


	7. Chapter 7

Betty:

I waited on my porch, wrapped up in my winter coat. The temperature was dropping by the second. 

Jughead pulled up on his bike and chucked his helmet over his handlebars as he parked it. 

“You didn’t have to come here,” I whispered to him, scared of waking up my parents. 

“It’s not like we live in LA. It took me like 5 minutes to get to the Northside. Nice house, by the way,” he murmured back. 

“Look, thank you for coming, but I don’t need to talk,” I tucked a loose strand of my ponytail behind my ear, “I’m fine.” 

“Never bullshit a bullshitter. Your parents home?” 

“Yes.” 

“Too bad. Want to walk?”

He headed off down a road. I grabbed his arm, and pulled him in the other direction. 

“Not that way.” 

“Are we avoiding something?” he raised an eyebrow. 

“No. It’s... it’s better this way.” 

“So how long have you been suicidal?” he asked. 

“I’m not... I’m..”

“Suicidal. You can say it.”

“Well, I’m not.” 

“Unlike me.” 

“That’s not what I meant, Jug.”

We fell into a rhythm, walking in silence, but I could tell he wanted to say something. 

“What do you want, Jughead?” 

He stopped under a streetlight. 

“I want to know why you were up there, and I want to know if you’re okay.”

“If I tell you, will you go home?” 

“Yes.” 

“And never bring it up again?” 

“Well, Betty, that depends on your answer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it’s kinda short, i promise the next chapter is longer :)


	8. Chapter 8

Jughead: 

Betty hesitated. She met my eyes and sighed. She turned and continued to walk. The only sounds audible were our footsteps and a party somewhere in the distance. 

After a moment, I said,  
“Look, I’m not exactly swimming in friends right now, and even if I was, those assholes have enough shit to gossip about. It’s the Northside against the South, right?” 

She took a deep breath.   
“I don’t know what I was thinking, Jug. It... it just got a bit much and when I saw the ground I started to freak out.” 

“Have you told anyone?” 

“No.” 

“Not even your parents?” 

“Especially not my parents.” 

She sighed, and strands of her hair fell around her face. 

“You know, you still didn’t tell me what you were doing up there.” 

“It was my sister’s birthday. She would’ve been 19.” 

“Shit, Betty, I’m sorry.” 

“But that isn’t entirely why, Jug. It just... none of it matters. Not school, not parties, not friends... it’s all just filling time until we die.” 

“Maybe. Maybe not. Whether it’s wasting time or not, it was enough for you not to jump.” 

She looked down at her feet, and once again we came to a stop. 

“Can I ask you something, Jughead?” 

I shrugged. 

“Growing up, we were always told that the Southside was the enemy. But you... you don’t seem so different. What was it like, y’know, growing up in that part of Riverdale?” 

I began studying the ground like it was the most interesting thing I’d ever seen before taking a deep breath. 

“Well, what is there to say? My dad is an alcoholic, my mom left when I was 10 and took my sister with her, I was homeless when I was 15, with no chance of leaving here because Southside High was a dump. But what made me any special? All the kids in the Southside went through similar things.” 

“This whole town is shit.” 

I bit back a grin. I hadn’t heard her swear before. She was silent as we walked round a corner, and I noticed her house nearing us. 

“We could go somewhere,” I offered. 

“I’m going inside and going to sleep.” 

I was always surprised by people’s need to sleep. If I didn’t have to, I would never sleep again. People wouldn’t be spending the night on the streets, for a start. 

“Or we could make out?” 

“It’s okay.” 

We stopped at my bike. 

“How did you get up there, by the way? I usually have to steal the janitor’s keys.” 

She grinned. “I may have picked the lock.” 

“Betty Cooper. There’s more to you than meets the eye.” 

——————

It was almost 2 am when I pulled out my laptop again at the trailer. 

I clicked on to Betty’s page, where someone had posted a message about her saving me. There was over 100 comments and at least 300 likes. I would’ve like to have thought people were grateful that I wasn’t dead, but I knew better. 

I then went onto my own page, which was empty. I went into my private messages, and my fingers sat on the keyboard for a moment. 

I messaged Betty. 

“I feel we can’t go through another one of these terrible times.” 

It was Virginia Woolf, taken from her suicide note to her husband, but I thought it fit the moment perfectly. 

An hour later, she wrote back. 

“Arrange whatever pieces may come your way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sort of a part two to the last chapter, and yes i posted them both on the same day but i hate having to wait soooo ;)


	9. Chapter 9

Jughead:

She was quoting Virginia Woolf back to me. 

The hairs on my neck rose and I felt a sudden flush of heat. 

Shit. 

The quote I sent was the only one of Virginia Woolf’s I knew. 

Suddenly, I wished I’d paid more attention to Virginia Woolf. 

Suddenly, I wished I’d been studying her all 17 years of my life. 

I pulled up Google, and typed back:

“My own brain is to me the most unaccountable of machinery—always buzzing, humming, soaring roaring diving, and then buried in mud. And why? What’s this passion for?”

It fit with what Betty was saying to me earlier, about filling time until we die. 

I looked down at my arms; I had the chills. When I looked back up at the screen, she had replied. 

“When you consider things like the stars, our affairs don’t seem to matter very much, do they?”

I pulled up another Virginia Woolf site. 

“I am rooted, but I flow.”

“I like that one. Where’s it from?” 

“The Waves,” I cheated again. 

It took her a few minutes to reply. 

“This is the most exciting moment I have ever known. I flutter. I ripple. I stream like a plant in the river, flowing this way, flowing that way, but rooted, so that he may come to me.   
‘Come,’ I say, ‘come.’ ”

My pulse wasn’t the only thing stirring. 

I couldn’t help but think how weirdly, stupidly sexy this was. 

“You make me feel gold, flowing.”

I decided to quote myself. Believe me, I could’ve spent all my life quoting Virginia Woolf to her, but I just needed to say it. 

Five minutes passed, and nothing. 

I waited almost 15 before getting a reply. 

“I have a few rules for our project. We walk, run or ride bikes. No driving. No cars. This means we can’t go far from Riverdale.” 

I couldn’t help but grin. 

“If we’re walking, running or riding bikes, that won’t be a problem. But we should also write about our wanderings, so we something other than just pictures. Actually, you should do the writing. I’ll just smile and look pretty.” 

I checked frequently, but I was there for an hour and nothing. 

I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t, so I just laid there. 

A while later, an alarm sounded, and before I knew it, it was Monday morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it’s a few hours late:/  
> thank you for reading❤️


	10. Chapter 10

Betty: 

Monday morning. First period. 

Everyone was talking about Cheryl’s latest post. She had a separate page about all the gossip in Riverdale High and most people loved her for it. 

It was about the roof. Neither Jughead nor I were named, but I was described as a “preppy blonde cheerleader” and he was the “Serpent king”. The entire school knew it was us anyway, they just wanted details. 

I grabbed my bag and excused myself from class, asking to go to the nurse. 

Instead, I picked the lock of the door to the roof and sat on the stairs behind the door. I pulled out my copy of “Wuthering Heights”. I decided I had given up on Anne Brontë- there was only Emily. Unruly Emily. Emily who was angry at the world. 

“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.”

“A mighty stranger,” I said to no one, “you got that right.” 

——————

Jughead: 

During third period, Sweet Pea, Toni and I got on our bikes and drove away from the high school into the Southside. 

None of us had any interest to stay the rest of the day. Plus, I hadn’t seen Betty anywhere. 

Toni yawned loudly. 

“Late night?” 

“Cheryl Blossom had a party. I made out with Reggie Mantle,” she grinned. 

Along with being Veronica Lodge’s boyfriend, Reggie was the biggest asshole in the entire school. 

“Will he remember it?” 

“He was pretty wasted.” 

“So were you!” interjected Sweet Pea, “you only got with him because Cheryl doesn’t like you.” 

“Hey! A girl can dream.” 

We parked up at the trailer park. 

“What about that dumb cheerleader, Jones?” 

“Her name is Betty, Toni. And she’s very smart. She has a brain.” 

“And a sweet, sweet ass,” through in Sweet Pea. 

They continued to talk about Betty, but I didn’t like it. They weren’t mean, it’s just I kind of liked having her to myself. She wasn’t an object, I knew that, and I felt like a spoilt kid, but I couldn’t help it. Betty was mine. 

I had to interrupt Toni. 

“She was the girl in the accident last April. Her sister was killed.” 

“Oh my god! That was her?” 

“Yes.” 

“Shit. So, what’s the deal then? You like her? Cos girls like her go for guys like Archie Andrews.” 

Sweet Pea turned to her. 

“She’s never gonna go for him. No offense, man. Doesn’t matter if he acts like Andrews or not. He’s a Southsider.” 

“No offence taken. And fuck Archie Andrews. Fuck him. You know what? Fuck this shit town.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah this is a filler chapter but i promise tomorrow’s is better:)


	11. Chapter 11

Jughead: 

I felt like taking over the the school. Taking over the town. Taking over the whole world. 

I just wanted a world of compassion, neighbor loving neighbor, no matter what side of town you lived on. 

No judgements. No name calling. Just no more. 

By the time I got to English, I almost believed I could achieve a society like this. 

Almost. 

It was, until, I saw Archie Andrews with his arm on the back of Betty’s chair. He was smiling, and talking, and she was smiling back, her mouth closed. 

Her green eyes stayed focused on him. 

Suddenly, I was Southside-born Jughead Jones in hand me down clothes again. 

Guys like Archie Andrews had a way of making you remember who you were. 

I tried to catch Betty’s eye, but she was too busy listening to Archie. Instead, I caught the attention of Reggie Mantle and Veronica Lodge who shot me glares. 

They then swallowed Betty, so I could no longer see her, and all I could do was stare at where she once was. 

I growled. 

Mr Phillips started class, but I wasn’t paying attention. 

When the bell rang, I walked past Archie and Reggie and Veronica so I was stood so close to Betty that I could smell her shampoo. 

“Can we help you?” Veronica sneered. 

I could feel all of their eyes on my back, but I leant my arm up against the lockers almost trapping Betty, ignoring them. 

“It’s time to start wandering,” I said to Betty. 

“Where?” 

“Have you been to Sweetwater Hill?” 

“No.” 

“It’s the highest point in the state.”

“So I’ve heard.” 

“It’s right here in Riverdale. I thought you might like it. Unless you have a fear of heights?” 

She smirked slightly, “No. I’m okay with them.” 

“She saved you from that ledge, didn’t she?” I heard from Veronica. 

Reggie mumbled, “Maybe you should go back up there.” 

Without even turning, I replied, “And miss the opportunity to see Riverdale? No thanks.” 

I added to Betty, “Let’s go.” 

“Right now?” 

“No time like the present and all that.” 

“Hey asshole!” interrupted Reggie, “why don’t you ask her boyfriend?” 

I turned to Reggie, “Because I’m not interested in Archie, I’m interested in Betty.” 

I then turned to Archie, “Look, man, it’s not a date. It’s a school project.” 

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Betty said, “and I can’t skip class.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because I’m not a delinquent.” 

“I’ll wait for you in the parking lot after school. ‘Come,’ I say, ‘Come.’” 

She bit her lip at that, resisting a smile. 

I winked, and walked off.


	12. Chapter 12

Betty: 

Three thirty. School parking lot. 

I had to shield my eyes from the sun as I looked for Jughead. I wondered whether he had already left or if he had changed his mind. Maybe I was just in the wrong place; Riverdale High was a large school with many students as it was the only school for a few miles. 

I gripped onto my bicycle which used to be Polly’s. She had named it Leroy because she used to like saying to our mother that she was just “out riding Leroy” or she was “busy riding Leroy”. 

Toni Topaz walked past me, followed by Sweet Pea. They smiled at me, which I returned. 

“He’s over there,” Toni grinned, before adding seriously, “also... if you break his heart I will kick your ass. The last thing he needs is you messing with his head. Understood?” 

“Understood.” 

“And I’m sorry. You know... about your sister.” 

I followed where Toni had pointed and found Jughead leaning against an old car, one probably used in street racing, with his hands in his pockets. He looked like he had all the time in the world. 

I thought of one of the Virginia Woolf lines from The Waves: 

“Pale, with dark hair, the one who is coming is melancholy, romantic. And I am arch and fluent and capricious; for he is melancholy, he is romantic. He is here.”

I wheeled my bike over to him. 

His dark hair was kind of messy, strands falling out from under his beanie. 

Seeing me, he opened the passenger door to his car. 

“I don’t want to drive.” 

“I forgot my bike.” 

“Well then I’ll follow you home so you can swap.” 

He nodded, but drove slower than he needed to until we reached a trailer park in the Southside. One of the mailboxes read ‘Jones’. 

He parked his car and went to his motorbike. He wheeled it round next to me, and I watched the muscles in his arms flex. 

“You can leave your bag in my room.” 

He pulled off his shirt to wipe his motorbike seat. 

“Uh... um...,” I coughed, “...what about my stuff?” 

“I got it covered.” 

He opened the door to the trailer. I eyed the pictures on the walls. They weren’t framed, or hung perfectly, like in the Cooper household, but they were sentimental. 

There was Jughead in middle school, Jughead outside Southside High with his friends and Jughead as a young kid holding who I guessed to be his sister. 

In his room, he had an entire wall dedicated to post it notes and pictures. His writing was scribbled everywhere, his thoughts scrambled. 

“What’s this?” I asked. 

“Plans. Songs. Ideas. Visions,” he smirked. 

He put my bag into his bed and rummaged in a draw for something. 

I turned back to the wall. Most of the notes looked like fragments of things, single words or phrases that didn’t quite make sense alone but were beautiful nonetheless. 

I didn’t say anything because I used to love words. I loved them and I was good at arranging them. 

He pulled on a clean shirt. 

I bit my lip, and then headed back outside. 

“How do you get to school?” he asked. 

“I ride my bike or walk.” 

“What about in the snow or rain?” 

“I ride my bike or walk.” 

We passed through several fields. Riverdale was built around Sweetwater River, so it didn’t take long to reach the body of water. It was a few more miles to reach the hill, though. 

He revved his engine and smirked. 

I resisted rolling my eyes. 

We were silent for a while, and I had to admit that it- he- was... nice. 

“If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” he asked. 

‘New York,’ I thought. 

“I don’t know,” I said. 

We continued for a while longer. 

“Don’t you want to know my answer?” 

“Okay, Jughead, if you could go anywhere then where would you go?” 

“I’d go to Sweetwater Hill with a beautiful girl.”


	13. Chapter 13

Betty:

We left our bikes by a tree where the trail thinned and we had to continue by foot. My legs ached, and I was strangely breathless. 

Jughead led the way, and I paid more attention to his curls under his beanie and the way he moved more than the scenery around me. 

We reached a wooden picnic bench, and a sign that read,

‘HIGHPOINT, SWEETWATER HILL, 1247FT’

“This is it?” I said. 

It was amazingly underwhelming. 

Jughead met my eyes. 

He took my hand, and pulled me up onto a ledge that I hadn’t noticed was there. 

In the instant his skin touched mine, I felt a little shock. 

I told myself it was because it was unfamiliar, and he was practically a stranger, but then electric jolts ran up my arm when he began to stroke my palm with his thumb. Uh oh. 

“What do we think?” he asked. 

“We’re seriously pissed.” 

“Not as pissed as the guys over at Greendale Hill. It’s the second highest point in the area. They don’t even get a picnic bench.” 

“If they’re second, they don’t really need one.” 

“An excellent point. It’s not even worth looking at,” he smiled at me, and, for the first time, I noticed just how blue his eyes were, “at least we’ve got Sweetwater.” 

“Shouldn’t we be collecting things?” I asked after a moment, “you know... writing stuff down?” 

“No. When wandering, you must live in the present, Betty.” 

Together, we sat in silence and watched the view. 

“I think this is the ugliest place I’ve ever seen,” I said, “not just here. This whole state.” 

“I used to think that. But then, believe it or not, it’s beautiful to some people. It had to be. Otherwise why would they live here?” 

I smiled. 

“You look different,” I blurted. 

“Must be the altitude.” 

I laughed. 

I wanted to ask him what happened to him. I wanted to know more about his home life. I wanted to know if what people said about the Serpent King was true. 

“I’ve heard a lot of stories.” 

“About me?” 

“Are they true?” 

“Probably.” 

We could see Riverdale in the distance. It was almost funny. There was no line, no evident partition, that declared whether your childhood would be privileged or not, but we both knew it was there. 

He adjusted his beanie and stared at me. His eyes trailed down to my mouth. 

For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me. 

For a second, I wanted him to. 

But then the moment was over, and he helped me back off the ledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next few chapters will be in betty’s point of view but i will be continuing writing jughead too :)


	14. Chapter 14

Betty: 

Early evening. Outside Jughead’s trailer. 

Jughead parked his bike and I hopped off Leroy. He went to open the door, and when I didn’t move, he said,

“You need your bag.” 

“I’ll wait here.” 

He laughed. When he had disappeared, I texted my mom to let her know I’d be home soon. Even though I would definitely be on time for my curfew, it was always best to notify Alice Cooper with those things. 

In a few minutes, Jughead was back, and standing so very close to me. I looked up into his blue blue eyes. 

It had been so long since I had been so close to a boy. Not even Archie stood this close when he kissed me. 

I remembered what Cheryl said about Jughead knowing what to do with a girl. Serpent or no Serpent, Jughead was lean and good looking and trouble. 

“Because you smiled at me,” he said. 

“What?” 

“You were wondering why I wanted to work with you. You smiled at me, and it wasn’t a bullshitter one you give your friends.” 

“It’s just smiling.” 

“Maybe to you.” 

“You know I’m going out with Archie Andrews.” 

“I thought you said he wasn’t your boyfriend.” 

Before I could recover, he laughed, 

“Relax, Betty, I don’t like you like that.” 

 

——————

 

Thursday. English class. 

The gossip page had a whole article on Jughead Jones, and my phone buzzed all morning from people wanting to know all I knew about him. I didn’t know a lot, but, still, it wasn’t their business, so I ignored them. 

I put my phone away just as Archie came over to me. I rolled my eyes slightly. I know he meant well, but I also knew there was no one else of his ‘level’ in the class to talk to yet which was why he approached me even after everything. 

He began talking about his project that he was doing with Trev Brown, who was also a Bulldog. 

I knew he would have rather chosen Reggie than Trev, but Veronica was also in the class, so naturally they went together. 

The couple then entered, and joined us. Veronica played with her pearls as she sat down next to me. 

Archie joined Reggie, and Veronica joined me. 

“How is it? Is it awful?” she asked me. 

“What?” 

“The Serpent.” 

“Jughead? It’s okay,” I shrugged. 

She raised an eyebrow at me. I gave her a small smile. 

“Oh my god you like him!” she all but yelled. 

“No I don’t!” I could feel my face turn pink, but only because she had such a loud voice. 

Five minutes late, just as class begun, Jughead breezed in. 

He wore the same ‘S’ shirt, the same jeans and suspenders and he had the same plaid shirt around his waist. 

I still hadn’t returned his leather jacket, and I wondered if he had gotten into any trouble for not having it. 

I wasn’t sure how the Serpents worked. 

He winked at me as he passed, and dropped a rock on my desk. 

I bit my lip, rolling my eyes, and half smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can’t remember if i added a chapter yesterday or not so if i didn’t i’m so sorry  
> also this is almost on 1k reads wtf   
> thank you for reading❤️


	15. Chapter 15

Betty:

I turned the rock over. 

“Your turn,” it read. 

I smiled slightly and gathered my things. 

Archie followed me out of class and to my next lesson since we had the same. 

He had noticed I was clutching onto the object that Jughead had slipped me. 

“So what’s that? Why’s he given you that? Is it a thank you for saving him?” 

“It’s a rock. I’d hope if it was for saving him it would be a little better.” 

“I don’t care what it is.” 

I sighed. 

“Don’t be that guy, Archie.” 

“What guy?” 

As we walked through the corridors, he was stopped and called a number of times- he was the most popular jock, after all. It didn’t used to bother me, but it started to get on my nerves. 

“The guy who’s jealous of his ex’s new guy.” 

“I’m not jealous. And he’s not your guy... is he?” 

“You’re right, he’s not. It’s only a project Archie.” 

I shrugged him off and made my way to my seat. 

——————

The moment I stepped through my house door after school, my mom was stood with her arms crossed. 

“Were you on the school roof?” she asked. 

‘Hello Betty’ would’ve been nice.   
‘How was school Betty’ would’ve been nice. 

I didn’t say anything. 

“I was at the Register when I got a call about my heroic daughter,” she added. 

I groaned internally. My mom always found out everything, especially since running the town’s newspaper, and I was stupid to think she wouldn’t. 

“I’m not a hero. I just happened to be up there. The door was wide open. You know my curiosity can get the better of me sometimes.” 

“Hmm. Who was the boy you were with?” 

Damn. 

Nothing got past her at all. 

“He’s just a boy I have to a project with for English class. He’s okay. He won’t affect my grades.” 

She nodded. That seemed to be good enough for her. 

Boys were the problem to everything in her eyes. It had always been that way, but it had gotten worse after she learnt Polly broke up with her boyfriend Jason on the night she died. 

My mom would never say it loud, but I was sure sometimes she thought that he was the reason we crashed. 

“Okay. Oh, and Betty?” 

“Yes, mom?” 

“How does a trip to New York over spring break sound?” 

I froze. 

That wasn’t what I had been expecting her to say. 

We hadn’t taken a trip in a while. Well, at all, since Polly died, actually. 

I had experienced a lot of firsts without her. First Thanksgiving. First Christmas. First New Year. 

Before she died, I would’ve loved to have gone to New York. 

Mom knew that. 

She’d always pushed for me to dream for Harvard or Yale, or some Ivy League, but since losing one daughter she’d softened a little bit on the idea of NYU. 

“Sounds great,” I said, but we both knew I didn’t mean it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1k reads!! thank you all!!  
> this is kinda a filler chapter, sorry:/   
> i promise jughead will be in the next chapter:)


	16. Chapter 16

Betty: 

I woke up at one am, unable to go back to sleep. 

I sighed, and pulled out my laptop. 

I saw I had a notification from Jughead. 

“Did you know some of the world’s tallest people come from our state? What does that say about our state do you think?” he had written. 

“That we have better resources than other states?” I replied. 

I watched the page for a while until I saw him come online. I saw he read my message and began typing. 

“I’m worried our resources are damaged. Maybe that’s why I’m so tall. I do eat a lot of food from this state. What if I don’t stop growing? Will you still want me when I’m 15 feet tall?” 

“How do you know I want you now?” 

“Give it time;)... I’m concerned about how I’ll ride my bike. Do they make them that size?” 

“Look on the bright side. It means your legs would be so long you could walk everywhere.” 

“So you’re saying I could carry you everywhere?” 

“Yes, you could.” 

“Huh.” 

“Stop it.” 

“I didn’t say anything.” 

I rolled my eyes. 

I wondered what Jughead was doing at that moment. 

Maybe he was with the Serpents. 

Maybe he was with some Serpent girl. 

I clicked off of the messages and onto the search engine. I began researching what there was in our area. After all, I did owe him a wander. Actually, I owed him a lot more than that, but a wander was a good start. 

—————— 

Jughead: 

I went to Betty’s house early that weekend. I knocked on her door, and her mom opened it. 

She looked me up and down. 

“So... Jug-head,” her mom said, “is that your real name?” 

“No, Mrs Cooper, but my real name is worse.” 

“Hmm,” she raised an eyebrow, “come in.” 

I entered Betty’s house, and Mrs Cooper led me to the kitchen table where breakfast was laid out. 

It was so different to the Southside. 

It was a classic, pristine Northside house with a white picket fence and fresh orange juice on the table. 

“Sit,” Mrs Cooper told me. 

I did as I was told. 

She looked like Betty but in 30 years time, with similar blonde hair and green eyes. 

She handed me a plate with pancakes when Betty came down the stairs. 

“Jug!” she said, “you’re early.” 

“Sorry. You ready?” 

“Yeah. See you in a bit, mom.” 

Betty grabbed her bag and pulled me away from the food. 

Mrs Cooper raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Hmm. Be safe,” she told her daughter. 

“Don’t worry. We’ll be safe, Mrs Cooper.”

I smirked at Betty, winking. Her cheeks coloured and she dragged me outside, leaving her mom alone. 

She stopped abruptly once we were on the porch. 

“Where’s your motorbike?” 

“Hmm. You see, in my experience, Northside moms and bike don’t mix well.” 

“I don’t care what my mom thinks.” 

“Well it’s a shame I do isn’t it.” 

She raised an eyebrow at me. 

I raised my hand and laid it on my heart. 

“I, Jughead Jones, promise that you, Betty Cooper, will not be in any danger in my car. I promise to not go above 30 and if at any point you want to get out than you shall.” 

She didn’t move. 

“You can’t force people to do things they don’t want to.” 

“But, Betty, I know you, and I know you don’t enjoy this 3 or 4 mile radius you can’t leave because you won’t get in a car.” 

“Maybe I do like those miles, Jug.” 

“See, I don’t think you do.”

She brushed past me and climbed into the car, and turned to glare at me. 

I grinned. 

“This was not a plan to seduce you, Betty. If it was, you’d know, trust me. What do you say?” 

“Okay,” she sighed. 

“Just like that?” 

“Just like that.” 

“Okay,” I smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i guess this is turning into a slow burn oof ;)


	17. Chapter 17

Jughead:

We drove in silence for a while. 

She gave me directions occasionally, and I followed. 

“Tell me about the accident,” I said softly. 

I didn’t expect her to, but she looked out the window and started talking. 

“I don’t remember much. I remember getting in Polly’s car after a party. She’d gotten into a fight with Jason...” 

“Jason Blossom?” 

“They’d been going out for most of last year. She was upset, but she wouldn’t let me drive. She wouldn’t tell me what they’d broken up over, either. But I was the one who told her to take the bridge.” 

She went very, very quiet, before continuing, 

“I remember the sign that said ‘Bridge ices before road.’ I remember sliding and Polly saying, ‘I can’t hold on.’ I remember the air as we went through it, and Polly screaming. After that, everything went black. I woke up in the hospital.”

I reached for her hand. 

“Tell me about her.” 

“She was the perfect daughter to my parents. She got good grades, she was popular, she was liked... but that’s not why I loved her. She stood up for me. That meant a lot.” 

I didn’t know what to say, so I just stroked her hand gently and concentrated on the road. 

——————— 

We pulled into a book store. 

“Stop here!” she said, “this isn’t where I want to wander... but can we go look?” 

I smiled at her. 

“Sure, Juliet.” 

“What did you call me?” 

“You heard.” 

She bit her lip and got out the car. 

—————— 

We hit the road again, and I asked her for directions. 

I parked the car outside a church and opened the door for her. We wondered into an old building where on one wall was a chalkboard. 

Someone had written “before I die I want to_____________” and a dozen different handwritings had scribbled their wishes. 

I drew a bunch of extra lines just for us. Three each. 

“Count for something. Be the person I’m meant to be and let that be enough,” I wrote. 

Betty thought for a long time, before adding her own. 

“Stop being afraid. Drive again. Write again.” 

I stood behind her, watching the movement of her hand. She wrote so naturally. 

There was one more line left for me. 

“Before I die I want to know a perfect day,” I paused, before adding, “and kiss Betty Cooper.” 

She met my eyes. 

“Not here. Not now,” I whispered.

I led her back to the car. 

When we were buckled, and I started the engine, I spoke again. 

“It doesn’t mean I like you.” 

“Why do you keep saying that Jughead?” 

“Because I see the way you look at me,” I winked. 

“Oh my god. You are fucking unbelievable Jughead Jones.” 

I smirked. 

She didn’t call me for the rest of the weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is becoming less and less like the book so sorry if you know it and expected it to be the same. on the other hand, if you haven’t read ‘all the bright places’ i recommend it :)


	18. Chapter 18

Jughead:

I didn’t see much of Betty the next week, or at all, actually. 

She was in a handful of my classes, but I felt as if she wasn’t there. 

She had been ignoring me. 

I had to accept it, in the end. 

She was from a different world to me. 

I shouldn’t have invested so much into her. 

I felt like kicking myself. 

I tried to talk to her when just when the bell rang for class. Archie, Veronica and Reggie left her, and Betty’s reaction was unreadable. 

Neither of us spoke until we were the only two left in the hall. 

I didn’t move. 

Neither did she. 

Around 10 minutes passed. 

“Jones! Cooper! Why aren’t you in class? Detention!” called a teacher. 

She scowled at me. 

“Detention?!” 

“It’s only 15 minutes!” I said. 

“Not to my mother! First in my life!” she seemed horrified and angry. 

“She’ll get over it! But, you, Betty Cooper- you’ve been ignoring me.” 

“You’re a prick, you know.” 

“Funny. You’re a lot nicer outside of school. I guess you’re too embarrassed to be associated with a fucking Southsider, is that it?” 

“You know what, fuck you, Jughead!” 

She stormed off, and I felt like punching a fucking wall. 

I couldn’t even fathom what had just happened. 

She hadn’t talked to me in a while and I couldn’t handle that? 

I felt like a fucking loser.

——————

Betty: 

Two am. My bedroom. 

Jughead was right. 

I had been ignoring him. 

It was... just...

He was so overwhelming and I didn’t know how to react. 

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a knock pound on my window. 

I got up and looked through the window to find Jughead waiting on a ladder. 

I opened it. 

“Go away,” I said. 

He was the reason my mom was angry with me, after all. I tried to ignore the sensation I felt in my stomach when he laughed. 

He climbed into my room. 

“Ah but you see Betty- I can’t climb back down without breaking my neck so I guess the only way I can reach the ground again is through your house and down your stairs. Unless you want me to break my neck?” he pouted. 

“You’re a pain in the ass, Jug.” 

“You’re not still mad, are you?” 

I raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Hmmph,” I said, “I guess we’ll see.” 

“How can I make it up to you?” 

I bit my lip. 

I watched him take a deep breath before cupping my face. 

“Jug?” I whispered. 

He kissed me, softly and slowly, and I felt myself moving to his rhythm. 

He pulled away gently. 

“Let’s go.” 

He headed outside. 

“This doesn’t mean I like you,” he said. 

“Dickhead.” 

He laughed, and handed me a helmet for his motorbike. 

“This... this isn’t dangerous... is it?” 

“Would I let you get on it if it was? I mean... I guess I could wake up your mom and ask if she could drive us instead?” he smirked. 

“No!” I rolled my eyes. 

I snatched the helmet off of him. 

“Hop on,” he smirked.


	19. Chapter 19

Betty: 

I removed my arms from around Jughead’s waist when he parked up in the Southside. 

He gave me a hand to get off his bike and he smiled. 

“We’re here.” 

I looked around. The street was deserted and one streetlight was flashing in the distance. 

“And where’s here, exactly?” 

He said nothing and just winked. 

Out of his gray Sherpa, he whipped out a key and proceeded to unlock a door of a closed store. 

“Jug?” 

“Shh.” 

He pulled me into the building and flicked on a light. 

It was a bookstore. 

“Jug...?” my eyes widened. 

He smirked. 

The store was dimly lit and narrow, lined with bookshelves. 

“You can sit, if you want,” he said, and pointed to a couple of beanbags. 

He trailed his fingers along the spines. 

“Are you looking for something?” 

“Yes.” 

He remained focused on the books. I dropped down into one of the seats.

“So... how..?” 

“We all have our secrets, Betts,” he grinned. 

Eventually, he pulled out a book and flopped down next to me. 

He began to read. 

“Pick out a book,” he said without looking up. 

I scoured the shelves until I found one of my all time favorites- Beloved by Toni Morrison. 

I sat back down next to him and we read in silence. 

“I’m still annoyed about detention,” I whispered to him after a while. 

I expected one of his smart responses, but he just reached out and grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. 

I smiled. 

Time passed quickly, and when I looked at my watch again it was almost 4 am. 

“Jug?” 

“Mmm?” 

“If my mom wakes up and sees me gone, she’ll murder us both.” 

“I guess I better take you home then.” 

I replaced my book back on the shelf when Jughead said,

“You can keep it if you want.” 

“I think that’s called stealing.” 

“Stealing, borrowing, same difference.” 

“That’s okay.” 

He looked amused but didn’t say anything more when he turned off the lights. 

Once outside, he locked the store up while I clambered onto his bike. 

I adjusted how I was sat for him to be able to sit in front of me and he raised an eyebrow. 

“What?” I asked. 

“...nothing.” 

I shot him a look. 

“Nothing!” he laughed. 

——————

Jughead:

When I walked into the Whyte Worm, it was about 4:30. 

Toni was wiping down the bar, getting ready to close it. 

She worked as a bartender to earn some cash, but it often meant she had to work long night shifts. 

“You with Betty?” she smirked at me as I sat down. 

“How d’you know I was with Betty?” 

“I can read the signs.” 

I rolled my eyes at her. 

“So how’s the Cheryl thing going then?” I challenged. 

She didn’t look up. 

“I’m sleeping over at hers this weekend.” 

“What the fuck!” 

“Yeah,” she smiled, “wish me luck.” 

“That’s fucking amazing Toni!” 

She laughed. 

“Yes it is.” 

An hour later, I returned to my trailer to shower and change clothes. 

The brightness of the sun rising startled me a little. 

I thought about how white contained all the wavelengths of the color spectrum at full brightness. 

It was angelic, but also a beautiful rainbow, all at once. 

It gave me an idea. 

Before writing it down and adding it to my wall, I signed onto my laptop and messaged Betty. 

“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not posting yesterday, i was sent home sick from school :/   
> also i think i’m almost halfway through the book!


	20. Chapter 20

Betty: 

Jughead didn’t show up to school for a week. 

Some people thought he had been suspended. For what, though, I wasn’t sure. 

On Wednesday, first period, I was cornered by Chuck and a few of his friends before the professor came in. 

“Where’s your boyfriend, Betty? Shouldn’t you be on suicide watch?” he laughed. 

I dug my nails into my palms and scowled. 

By Thursday, I had had enough. 

I found Sweet Pea in the school parking lot after school. 

I explained that I was working on a project with Jug and I hadn’t heard from him in a few days. 

“I’m sure he isn’t ignoring you,” Sweet Pea said as he pulled on his helmet, “sometimes he has things to take care of.” 

Toni joined us and smiled. 

“I like your glasses,” she said. 

“Thanks. They were my sister’s.” 

——————

Friday morning rolled around, and on the way to third period I spotted him- Jughead Jones- enter the calculus class we had together. 

I almost didn’t know what to say. 

It wasn’t like I needed to though as I hadn’t even taken my book out of my bag when the fire alarm went off. 

Stalking past me, Jughead whispered in my ear,

“Meet me in the parking lot.” 

I turned and met his eyes. 

It was a bad idea. 

For a moment, I hesitated, but then I started to run in the opposite direction to everyone else. 

Jughead caught up with me and then we ran harder together. 

We exited the school and left the gates unnoticed and down the street. 

“Where are we going?” I asked out of breath. 

“Just follow me. But be quiet. First one to make a noise has to streak back to school.” 

“Streak how?” 

“Streak naked. That’s what the word streaking means. It is, I believe, the very definition of the word.” 

I rolled my eyes. 

We wandered into the trees, hidden from Riverdale. 

Jughead led us onto a path that I hadn’t even known was there. 

We reached a lake of some sort- a body of water that looked like it hadn’t been swum in in years. 

He had to shield his eyes from the sunlight peeking through the branches, and, as a result, snapped a twig. 

It pierced through the silence. 

“Shit,” he whispered. 

“Oh my god. Do you have to streak now?” 

He sighed, and pulled off his sherpa, S shirt, his suspenders and jeans until he was left stood in his boxers. 

“Off with them, Jughead. You were the one who said streaking, and I believe streaking implies full on nakedness. I believe, in fact, that it is the very definition of the word,” I teased. 

 

I didn’t expect him to do it. He smiled, and dropped his boxers. 

“This would be way more fun if you were naked too,” he said, and then bombed into the water. 

I watched him swim for a while and then pulled out my notebook. 

“You should come in.” 

“That’s okay. I’d rather not get hypothermia.” 

“Come on, Juliet.” 

“Maybe when it’s warmer.” 

“Okay.” 

He swam to the shore and pulled on his clothes, still wet. He shoved his beanie back onto his head. 

“We should get back to class.” I bit my lip. 

“I have a better idea.” 

Before he could tell me what it was, Archie, Reggie and Trev walked through the trees. 

Archie came over to me. 

“We saw you leave in the fire alarm.” 

Reggie sneered at Jughead. 

“Is this part of the English project? Are you wandering the woods or wandering eachother?” 

“Grow up Reggie,” I said. 

“Are you okay?” Archie asked. 

“I’m fine Archie. You don’t need to check up on me.” 

I grabbed Jughead’s hand and pulled him away before the situation could escalate. 

I didn’t bother going home. 

I had already skipped school so the damage was already done, but my mom still wasn’t expecting me back yet. 

Instead, Jug and I rode around on our bikes for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m getting so bad at posting everyday oops:)  
> thank you for reading thoughhh


	21. Chapter 21

Betty: 

Six o’clock. My house. 

I opened the door to find my parents on my couch. The moment I stepped in, my mom charged towards me. 

“Where the hell were you, Elizabeth? We got a call from the principal saying you didn’t turn up!” 

“Technically, I was just down the street.”

“Where, Elizabeth?” 

“The river.” 

“Why were you at the river in winter? Why did you go during school?!” she yelled. 

“The fire alarm went off, and we were all outside, and Jughead had this idea for our project..”

“Jughead?” 

“Jones, yes. Jughead Jones.”

“Jones?” my mom repeated. Her face had paled.   
“Is... is he from the Southside?” 

“Yes by what does that have to do with anything?” 

My mom tensed up. 

“Go to your room, Elizabeth.” 

“Mom...”

“Go!” 

I decided not to push her any further. I curled up on my bed and pulled out my laptop. 

I sent a message to Jughead;

“I hope you’re okay. My parents found out about skipping school. I think this might be the end of our wandering.” 

I slipped out of my room into Polly’s. I removed her glasses and placed them on her bedside table. 

“Thanks for the glasses,” I whispered, “but they hurt my head. And they’re ugly.” 

——————

The next morning, when I went downstairs Jughead was sat at the table with my mom. 

“Where are your glasses?” he asked softly. 

“I gave them back to Polly. What are you doing here?” I stared. 

“I’m eating breakfast. The most important meal of the day. But I came to explain to your parents about yesterday and how you tried to keep me out of trouble and although we cut class we are working so hard on our English project.” 

My mom then cut in, “We discussed some rules for this project, Elizabeth.” 

“So we can still work on it?” 

“Jug-head and I have an understanding, don’t we?” my mom glared. 

“Yes, Ms Cooper,” he winked. 

“An understanding not to be taken lightly.” 

“No, Ms Cooper.” 

“We are trusting him. We are grateful that he got you back in the car but you need to be careful, Elizabeth. One mistake and every privilege will be taken, do you understand?” 

“Yes. Thanks, mom,” I felt like I was in a daze. 

“Come on Juli- Betty. Time’s a wasting.” 

He stood up, stopping himself from calling me his nickname for me in front of my mom. 

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s beginning to get interesting;)
> 
> thank you for reading, and i’m also so sorry for not posting the last few days.


	22. Chapter 22

Jughead:

On the drive back into the Northside, Betty was hunched over a notebook, scribbling. 

I rolled slowly, just under 30, because being in a car still made her nervous. 

Glancing over at her, I grinned slightly at the Serpent jacket slung around her shoulders. Earlier she had told me she was giving it back to me but then needed it back almost immediately because I caught her shivering. 

“What are you working on?” I asked. 

“Just some notes.” 

Her pen scratched across the page at a million miles an hour. 

Before I could ask her any further questions on specifically what she was working on, she looked up at me. 

“You know what I like about you, Jug? You’re interesting. You’re different. And I can talk to you. Don’t let it go to your head.” 

The air felt charged. Electric. Like if you were to strike a match the world would explode. 

“You know what I like about you, Juliet? Everything.” 

“But I thought you didn’t like me.” 

And then I looked at her. She raised an eyebrow. 

I pulled over at the nearest exit I saw, and parked the car. I got out and walked around to her door. 

When I opened her door, she asked, 

“What’s going on? Jug?” 

“I thought I could wait. But I can’t. Sorry.” 

I helped her out so we were stood face to face in the empty parking lot, her between the car and me. 

“Jug?” 

I brushed a loose strand of hair out her face. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her. I kissed her harder than I meant to, so I eased off a little, but then I felt her kissing back. She hung her arms around my neck, and then I was up against her, and she was up against the car. 

Somehow I managed to get the back door open, and so I laid her down on the blanket that was there. I pulled off her shirt, and then my jumper, and I kissed her neck, and she made these gasping noises. 

“You’ve been driving me crazy,” I said. 

My entire body felt like it was going to fucking explode, and her skin was so warm and smooth, and I ran my hand across her bare stomach as her fingers locked themselves in my hair, pulling my beanie off. 

After a moment, she pulled away slightly, and whispered, “not now. I’m sorry.” 

I felt like banging my head against the fucking wall because I could tell from those four words that she was a virgin and that made me feel like I had just pounced on her like a fucking moron. Shit. 

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Betty,” I said, before adding, “all that time with Archie?” 

“No. Never.” 

“Huh. I thought girls lost it by just looking at him.” 

She slapped my arm playfully, so I kissed her softly. 

“Someday?” 

“Someday,” she smiled, and kissed me again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed this chapter;)
> 
> i haven’t updated in so long. i guess it’s just that time of year. as soon as i’m done with school (over christmas break) i’ll update more :) 
> 
> thank you for reading x


	23. Chapter 23

Jughead:

I stopped writing around 2 am. Riverdale was always quietist in the early hours of the morning. 

I shut my laptop off and pulled on my Sherpa jacket. I needed to clear my head, and so I sat on the trailer steps outside. 

The town was shitty. It was so shitty. 

And I didn’t want to be Jughead Jones, the boy Betty spoke to. I wanted to belong in her world, and in my own skin. I wanted my epitaph to say: the boy who Betty Cooper loved. 

 

Betty: 

After World History class, Archie came up to me when I was gathering my books. 

“Can I talk to you?” 

“What’s up?” I asked. 

We walked out into the hallway, swept in a stream of students. 

“Where are you headed?” he asked. 

“Lunch.” 

We headed towards the cafeteria, and Archie took a deep breath. 

“Betty... you’ve always been my best friend, and I’ve always told you everything. So... I’ve asked out Valerie. I wanted to tell you before you heard it from the school.” 

“That’s great, Archie. I’m really happy for you,” I smiled. I almost went to say something about Jughead, but I stopped because I didn’t know what to say because I didn’t know what we were or if we were even anything. 

He smiled back. 

I turned, and he pulled me back for a second. 

“Oh, Betty?” he whispered, “I heard that Reggie went after Jughead in gym today.” 

“What do you mean, went after?” I raised my eyebrows, alarmed. 

“Punched him, I guess. I doubt they’ve been punished though. Reggie started it, and I don’t think that Coach Clayton will want to lose a Bulldog.”

He turned, and headed towards the music room where I assumed Valerie was waiting for him. 

I walked past Veronica and Reggie’s table and the audience that was gathered there. 

Instead, I went to the other side of the room, over the invisible division line that existed even in Riverdale High. 

I stopped at the Serpents’ table, from which I noted that Jughead was absent. 

I felt thousands of eyes burning into my back, and the room went silent. 

“Hey,” I said, “can I sit here?” 

Toni smiled at me. 

“Sure, Blondie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey:)   
> so... i don’t think i’ll end the bughead story the same way the book ends, for two mains reasons:  
> -one, i don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t read it  
> -two, although i enjoyed the ending i don’t want that for betty and jughead 
> 
> i’m about halfway through the book i guess and i’ll be posting a lot more because i’m on christmas break now. thank you all for reading.


	24. Chapter 24

Betty: 

Our English assignment really just became an excuse to drive somewhere and make out. I told myself I wasn’t ready for Someday yet, but I felt this urgent tug towards Jughead and I couldn’t get enough. 

He picked me up on Saturday morning, and parked just outside Riverdale. 

“What happened with Reggie?” I said. 

“How did you hear about that?” 

“Archie told me. And it’s kinda obvious you were in a fight.” I indicated to the bruise above his eye. 

“Does it make me look hotter?”

I raised an eyebrow, and he smirked. 

“Oh, shut up. Be serious. What happened?” 

“He was being an asshole. He started talking shit about you and I punched him.” 

“Jug,” I whispered. 

He cupped my face, and his tongue found mine. 

I felt like I lived for the moments when I was beside him, when his skin on mine and when his mouth on mine. I felt I spent the rest of the day looking forward to him. 

When I got home, Jug had sent me a message. 

“I am constantly thinking of Someday.” 

“Someday soon.” 

“F#*@!” 

“;)” 

 

The next morning, when I came down for breakfast, my mom looked over her mug at me. 

“Elizabeth,” she said, “you have a parcel.” 

“It’s Sunday.” 

“Someone left it on the porch.” 

When I picked it up, I knew I didn’t have any choice but to open it in front of her. The handwriting was familiar, and it was addressed to “Betts”. I prayed that it was nothing embarrassing because with Jughead Jones you could never tell. 

I tugged off the paper to find a pair of goggles- the kind you wear when you go swimming. 

“Who are they from?” she asked. 

“Jughead.” 

“Hmm,” she raised her eyebrows disapprovingly. 

I rolled my eyes, and ran back upstairs to send him a message before my mom could say anymore. 

“What are the goggles for? Please don’t tell me you want to use them for Someday.” 

“You promised me a swim, Juliet. I’m just waiting for a warm day.” 

Over the next few weeks, it was still almost freezing out, and Sweetwater lake was frozen over. So instead, Jug and I usually went to Pop’s to keep warm. I felt like being in the booth, with him, was my favorite place to be, and I didn’t mind too much that it was so cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading<3


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